In this issue, readers will learn about many examples of the adoption of technology and systems that are reducing the Army's environmental footprint. Working closely with industry, the Army is introducing more efficient turbine engines, hybrid electric power plants, alternative energy generating systems, cleaner manufacturing, virtual technologies and other innovations.

This year's Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards recognize the efforts of Army installations, teams and individuals to sustain and restore the natural and cultural resources found on Army lands throughout the U.S. and in Europe. The six installations, two teams and one individual selected as this year's winners represent the best of the Army's ongoing commitment to sustain its training lands through sound environmental stewardship. The winners are from Army installations in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy.

The EPA completed its multi-year review of the Army's closure and sampling reports and through the EPA's own analyses considers the JACADS facility to have met all of its permit requirements for closing the facility.

Army Directive the establishes requirements for Army instalations in the Strategic Support Area to protect critical assets and ensure mission resilience against threats caused by changing climate and extreme weather.

The Army has released a list of installations that are participating in an energy-conserving pilot program to only use as much energy as they create by 2020. The initiative, called Net Zero, will focus on energy as well as water and waste usage procedures, explained Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment.

Public Works Digest is an unofficial publication of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command, under AR 360-1, The Army Public Affairs Program. The April/May/June edition covers various environment and sustainability news and activities throughout the Army. See attachment.

The Army announced the winners of the 2024 Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards Program. The successes outlined in the nominations of these winners are examples of the many environmental successes that can be found throughout the Army environmental program. Army environmental professionals are constantly striving for ways to ensure environmental quality, restoration and conservation that sustain the mission and support the future.

The Army Regional Environmental and Energy Offices protect and advance Army (and DoD) military readiness by engaging State governments, regional Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to promote sustainable installation operations. The Army has four Regional Environmental and Energy Offices (REEOs); the Northern Office at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Southern Office in Atlanta, Central Office in Kansas City, and Western Office in Denver. Army is the lead DoD REC for USEPA Region 5 (Northern Office), Region 4 (Southern Office), Region 7 (Central Office), and Region 8 (Western Office).

The Army Sustainability Report 2014 highlights progress in FY12 and FY 13 in land management, operational energy, community partnerships, and programs.

(Boston, Mass. – October 28, 2008) – An EPA Administrative Complaint alleges multiple violations of federal hazardous waste laws by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, based in Hanover, N.H. The facility may be subject to penalties of nearly $113,000 for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

The alleged violations involved 28 underground tanks at the Aberdeen facility that were used to store gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, and JP-8 jet fuel and ranged in capacity from 600 gallons to 25,000 gallons. To settle the alleged violations, the U.S. Army has agreed to pay a $29,928 civil penalty and to perform a supplemental environmental project (SEP) at a cost of $209,432. The SEP involves the removal of the underground storage tanks and the installation of above-ground tanks.

(Seattle – December 8, 2015) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with the U.S. Army for alleged violations of its hazardous waste permit at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. As part of the settlement, the Army has agreed to pay $59,220 in penalties for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

This is the third annual sustainability report. Dated September 2011, the report describes the continued integration of sustainability into operations at all organizational levels.

Multiple Army installations are participating in an energy-conserving pilot program to only use as much energy as they create by 2020. The initiative will focus on energy as well as water and waste usage.

This website provides background information, guidance, and tools pertaining to the management of arsenic in drinking water at all sizes of community water systems.

The focus of this 2-hour EPA course is retrofitting stormwater management practices into watersheds that have already been developed. This approach can help restore watersheds by providing stormwater treatment in locations it was not originally included.

This EPA website is a portal to health information, regulatory information, training, guidance documents, and O&M practices concerning asbestos.

WI Department of Natural Resources checklist to help building owners and inspectors, demolition contractors, consultants, subcontractors and others identify and address environmental issues in a demolition project and find out how to properly handle any hazardous or problem materials.

(Boston, Mass. – January 13, 2010) – Three entities involved in a demolition project at the Newport Navy Base in Newport, R.I. have agreed to pay a penalty for alleged violations of Federal requirements for the safe handling and disposal of asbestos during demolition activities.

EPA guidance on NESHAP-regulated asbestos materials.

The 2025 ASCE Convention will bring Society members from across the country together for information sharing and networking. The topics for this year's convention are Significant Projects, System Failures and Recovery, History and Heritage, Strategic Issues/Public Policy, Standards, Emerging Technologies, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

With EPA support, the publication titled "The Indoor Air Quality Guide: Best Practices for Design, Construction and Commissioning" is available for download free of charge. The publication includes IAQ strategies, diagrams, case studies and more, aimed at architects, design engineers, contractors, commissioning agents, and all other professionals concerned with IAQ.

Presentations given at EPA's "Common Environmental Violations at Federal Facilities: Ask the EPA Inspector" webinar held October 27, 2010 are now available at http://www.fedcenter.gov/asktheepainspector.

Webinar presentations given at EPA's "Industrial Stormwater Requirements at Federal Facilities: Ask the Inspector" workshop held November 14, 2012 are now available at http://www.fedcenter.gov/industrialstormwaterreqtswebinar.

Presentation #4.

Presentation for FES 2022 environmental compliance February 25, 2021 webinar.

Presentation for FES 2022 environmental compliance February 25, 2021 webinar.

Presentation for FES 2022 environmental compliance February 25, 2021 webinar.

Presentation for FES 2022 environmental compliance February 25, 2021 webinar.

Presentation for FES 2022 environmental compliance February 25, 2021 webinar.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition brings engineering disciplines together for innovation and networking. The program features a wide variety of tracks including energy, heat transfer and thermal engineering, and safety engineering, risk, and reliability analysis. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition brings engineering disciplines together for innovation and networking. The program features a wide variety of tracks including energy, heat transfer and thermal engineering, and safety engineering, risk, and reliability analysis.

ARRA's mission is to develop new programs, strategies and funding not only to improve the technological side of the industry but to increase the market share for recycled asphalt, as compared to other types of maintenance, preservation, and rehabilitation options. The membership list is searchable to help in identifying asphalt recyclers/reclaimers close to home.

Welcome to shinglerecycling.org, an online resource for those interested in recycling asphalt shingles.

Developed by Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly-Identified Health at the request of the European Commission, this report contains a scientific opinion on the appropriateness of existing methodologies to assess the potential risks of nanotechnologies and the scientific background of the opinion.

The Agency's 2024 assessment of the availability of capacity for the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste generation, as documented in the 2024 National Capacity Assessment Report, indicates that there exists adequate capacity nationwide through the year 2049. This report describes the data and analyses that provide the information needed for the capacity assurance. The focus of the assessment is on commercial management for land disposal, incineration, and energy recovery since these management types are often costly and difficult to permit.

ATTAINS allows for the submission of 303(d)/305(b) water quality data, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) information, and support program goals aligned with both submissions processes. The ATTAINS system replaces the existing Assessment Database (ADB), the National TMDL Tracking System (NTTS). ATTAINS also replaces the Clean Water Act Integrated Reporting, Water Quality Assessment, Impaired Waters -OWIR data exchange

ACCO was founded in August 2008 and incorporated in Washington, DC in January 2009 as a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation. ACCO's mission is advance the knowledge and skills of those dedicated to developing and directing climate change strategies in the public and private sectors, and to establish a flexible and robust forum for collaboration between climate change officers.

The ALMR is an educational and informational resource to government agencies, municipal authorities, industries and other business entities, universal waste handlers, generators, environmental groups and industry trade organizations. Tools developed include CD-Rom training on recycling mercury-containing lamps

This web site has been prepared to assist plastic bottle designers, fabricators, and packaging decision-makers in constructing bottles for a wide range of specific product applications that are also compatible with the broadest range of recycling operations and technologies.

This guide is an organized collection of information and series of options for industry, regulators, auditors, consultants and the public, intended to measure compliance with environmental performance standards against established benchmarks. It focuses on compliance with air, water, waste prevention, waste management, and toxic reduction standards for facilities in the United States. While the guide does not recommend a specific course of action, it establishes a tiered framework of essential components, beginning with those standards where a deviation presents the greatest potential public health, environmental, and business risks.
NOTE: This Guide must be purchased from ASTM.

ASTM's environmental assessment and risk management standards provide the proper procedures for carrying out specific evaluation procedures for identifying and predicting the possible biophysical, social, and other relevant impacts that certain products and projects may have on the natural environment, as well as on the health and safety of the immediate users of such. These environmental assessment and risk management standards are valuable to environmental scientists and engineers, impact assessment institutions, and real estate firms in implementing the appropriate environmental impact designs to ensure overall prevention of the associated contamination risks.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released its final toxicological profile for several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). There twelve perfluoroalkyl compounds discussed in the profile. The perfluoroalkyls discussed in the profile primarily consist of perfluorinated aliphatic carboxylic acids and perfluorinated aliphatic sulfonic acids.

In its 140-pages, the August 2000 manual (EPA-510-B-00-009) contains a summary of specifications, based on third-party evaluations, for ATG systems that detect leaks from USTs and their piping. Each summary provides information such as certified detectable leak rate/threshold, test period duration, product applicability, calibration requirements, restrictions on the use of the device, vendor contact information, printing and interpreting reports, and sample reports.

Facility managers, energy managers, contractors, and others need to understand the latest information about energy and water management in order to help the Federal government be save energy and money and meet energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation goals.

The Tool is an Excel-based model that can evaluate the water savings, costs, and benefits of conservation programs for a specific water utility, using either English or Metric units. Additionally, it provides a standardized methodology for water savings and benefit-cost accounting, and includes a library of pre-defined conservation activities from which users can build conservation programs. Must be an AWE member to access.

While policy and manufacturing can at times dominate the headlines, AWEA also understand the importance of siting and environmental compliance. Understanding all the aspects involved with siting and compliance is a critical component for both individual wind projects and a robust industry. AWEA's Wind Project Siting and Environmental Compliance conference is the place where industry leaders, experts and external stakeholders gather to learn from each other and discuss the most challenging issues of the day.

The abstract deadline for this meeting is February 5. If you are actively participating in emerging contaminants research, education, or policy, please consider participating in this meeting.

This site is intended to keep the water industry in the know about tools, issues and developments related to water conservation.

This webinar explored the handling of waste materials in large institutional, commercial and public buildings, from the point of being discarded to when they're carted away can be deceptively complex; how the collection system is designed and managed directly impacts operational costs and diversion rates not to mention health and safety. This program featured presentations reviewing topics including best practices and case study examples for handling separate waste streams and managing custodial staff.

Promotes simple ways of reducing the amount of water used for irrigation include growing xeriphytic species (plants that are adapted to dry conditions), mulching, adding water retaining organic matter to the soil, and installing windbreaks and fences to slow winds and reduce evapotranspiration.

Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) and pondcypress (Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium) are two species commonly found in forested wetland ecosystems of the southeastern United States. Both species can improve water quality, provide wildlife habitat, mitigate flood waters, and help control erosion, making them ecologically important trees. However, baldcypress and pondcypress are both hosts for the baldcypress leafroller (Archips goyerana), a native defoliating pest first documented in southeastern Louisiana in 1983. Baldcypress leaf roller defoliation events can cause reduced tree growth, crown dieback, and, in some cases, host tree mortality. But what do we know about this pest and how do we reduce its impact?

From AirKnowledge.gov in partnersip with US EPA. After completion of this course, learners will be able to explain the various interrelated aspects of air pollution control, understand the basic terminology, and have a rudimentary understanding of some of the technical aspects of regulating, measuring, and controlling air pollution.

This MOU established responsibilities and funding for the US Environmental Protection Agency's assistance and support in accelerating environmental restoration and cleanup decisions in support of reuse at selected Department of Defense (DoD) BRAC Rounds I-IV installations.

A list of BRAC facilities with their NPL status and links to additional information for each site.

This presentation provides an overview of the updates in 10 CFR 433 (Baseline Energy Efficiency Standards Update for New Federal Commercial and Multi-Family High-Rise Residential Buildings) and 10 CFR 435 (Energy Efficiency Standards for the Design and Construction of New Federal Low-Rise Residential Buildings Baseline Standards Update).

This course is a joint EPA/State of California training. The course is designed to teach environmental agency inspectors and other environmental compliance professionals core knowledge, skills, and cross program awareness needed to conduct quality inspections.

This is an online eLearning course that is required of all inspectors seeking EPA inspector credentials and meets the requirements of EPA Order 3500.1. The course covers topics such as the role of the inspector, gathering and using evidence, sampling, inspection report writing, and the role of the inspector after the inspection is compete. This course is offered through the EPA National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI) and is open to Federal (including non-EPA), state, local, and tribal personnel after they register for an Adobe Connect account via the NETI website. The link to access the available courses is also located at this website.

This course provides an overview of the purpose, legal framework, and implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Course will cover the principles of statistics as applied to the analysis of environmental data with as little mathematical detail as possible. These examples will demonstrate the results of different techniques, giving attendees a greater understanding of situations when each of the various techniques for environmental data analysis should be used.

Projects can reduce or avoid GHG emissions that cause climate change. These actions can reduce the overall emissions of an organization to create tradable creates to offsets emissions in order to become carbon neutral. This training course covers basics of GHG accounting for projects.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this course will provide participants with an understanding of the value proposition for GHG management, fundamental accounting principles, disclosure, verification and reporting frameworks, and common practices for leveraging GHG data.

The ACHP offers online courses on Section 106 topics. Each course offers self-paced interactive presentations and downloadable reference documents. Courses of 30 minutes or more offer a certificate of completion and incorporate knowledge checks that let you apply your learning to case scenarios or quiz questions.

This course covers the basics of GHG accounting for organizations. The course materials are based on the WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol Corporate Standard while referring to ISO 14064.

Offered by the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), this course will provide a basic overview of sea level rise in the context of climate change, including the basics of temporal and regional changes, the forcing mechanisms for sea level rise in the past and projections for the future. Attendees will gain a fundamental understanding of the observing systems used to measure sea level change, and how various government agencies are planning for the impacts of sea level rise. Learners will also get an overview of the concept of risk management in the face of sea level rise, looking at various adaptation strategies, and discussing the concept of how to build resilience. Attendees will participate in an instructor-led discussion on what steps they might take to help mitigate impacts of sea level rise in their communities.

U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) has worked on ways to protect bats at wind farms. One solution is the development of an ultrasonic bat deterrent technology, from initial concept to recent commercial deployment at wind farms domestically and abroad.

(Seattle, Wash. – December 20, 2007) – Battelle Energy Alliance (BEA) and its project contractor, Wheeler Electric, have agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $61,000 for mishandling waste contaminated with Polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs) at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), near Arco, Idaho.

This report describes the development of a method to assess battery energy storage system (BESS) performance that the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) and others can use to evaluate performance of deployed BESS or solar photovoltaic (PV) plus BESS systems. The proposed method is based on actual battery charge and discharge metered data to be collected from BESS systems provided by federal agencies participating in FEMP's performance assessment initiatives. Long-term (e.g., at least 1 year) time series (e.g., hourly) charge and discharge data are analyzed to provide approximate estimates of key performance indicators (KPIs).

Checklist provides federal agencies with a standard set of tasks, questions, and reference points to assist in the early stages of battery energy storage systems (BESS) project development. The checklist items contained within are intended for use in procurement of commercial scale lithium-ion BESS, although they may be used more generally for other BESS technologies.

The formation of battery recycling working sessions alongside experts from state governments, manufacturers, recyclers, and environmental groups. The entire working group session is presented. Speakers include EPA Senior Advisor for Implementation for the Office of Land and Emergency Management, and the Director of EPA's Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division they highlighted the Agency's leading role in battery recycling efforts.

Begins an exclusive two-part electronic report on the first White House Summit on Federal Sustainable Buildings, held January 24-25 at the White House Conference Center, on Lafayette Square, a few hundred yards from the White House itself.

An online directory of information about the water quality at our nation's beaches, local protection programs, and other beach-related programs. The website is updated as new information becomes available.

The EPA workbook provides much needed guidance for conducting risk-based climate change vulnerability assessments and developing adaptation action plans. It is an ideal tool for organizations that manage places, watersheds or coastal environments.

This tool, funded by EPA, provides information on beneficial use options for industrial byproducts. Some of the byproducts addressed include: construction and demolition debris, chicken manure, scrap tires, drinking water treatment wastes, and coal ash. The portal also contains information on state beneficial use programs.

This report commissioned by the Office of Federal High Performance Green Buildings includes a literature review of 200 research studies, in-depth analysis of green roof benefits, an original cost-benefit analysis, discussion of challenges and best practices, and assessment of further research needs. The report estimated a 6.2-year payback for this technology on commercial and public buildings.

The purpose of this guidance is to aid in the preparation of decommissioned military and commercial vessels using best management practices so they "will be environmentally sound in their use as artificial reefs," as required under Section 3516 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (P.L. 108-136). Options for managing obsolete and decommissioned military and commercial vessels include reusing all or parts of the vessel, recycling or scrapping, creating artificial reefs, and disposing of vessels on land or at sea, according to the guidance.

2006 White House Summit on Federal Sustainable Buildings presentation by Rick Khan

This comprehensive water management training provides Federal facility and energy managers with knowledge and skills to assist in meeting water-related legislative and executive order requirements. Learners will develop skills in increasing water efficiency and reducing water use through sound operations and maintenance practices and water-efficient technologies. Several methods for meeting needs for non-potable water through alternate water sources, such as rainwater harvesting, reclaimed wastewater, and gray water are discussed. Water metering is covered, as well as life cycle costing and establishing the overall economics for strategic water management. This training is offered by FEMP in partnership with the National Institute of Building Sciences' Whole Building Design Guide.

This November 2016 EPA guidance generally describes measures ("best practices") NPDES permit writers and pretreatment coordinators should consider adopting to address hazardous and toxic chemical discharges to POTWs.

This Best Practices Guide provides EPA regional Superfund teams with best practices for oversight and enforcement of community involvement (CI) requirements at federal facility National Priority List (NPL) sites. This includes newly proposed best practices and a compilation of existing resources for successful CI. By enhancing CI at federal facility NPL sites through these best practices and the resources, EPA Regions can support EPA's environmental equity efforts through their existing oversight role.

This EPA website provides guidance on how builders, construction teams and design practitioners can divert C&D materials from disposal by buying used and recycled products, practice source reduction, preserve existing structures, and salvage and reuse existing materials.

Join the Department of Defense and State regulators for an engaging discussion on DoD's treatment optimization efforts. During this training, attendees will gain a high-level understanding of how DoD executes treatment optimization, including policy considerations, data needs, and evaluation metrics. Speakers will also provide case studies communicating the benefits and successes of the Department's optimization efforts, as well as helpful resources and tools to consider during cleanup projects. The intended audience for this training includes members of the DoD Cleanup community, including State regulators.

This March 2011 FEMP document provides an overview of best practices for energy-efficient data center design which spans the categories of Information Technology (IT) systems and their environmental conditions, data center air management,cooling and electrical systems, on-site generation, and heat recovery.

A partnership established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), this program publicly recognizes employers whose commuter benefits reach the National Standard of Excellence.

Developed by EPA, BASINS is a multi-purpose, environmental analysis system that integrates a geographical information system (GIS), national watershed data, and state-of-the-art watershed modeling tools, including the Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model, into one package. Specifically, BASINS CAT provides flexible capabilities for creating climate change scenarios allowing users to quickly assess a wide range of what if questions about how weather and climate could affect their systems. BASINS CAT does not provide climate change data for specific regions and watersheds. Combined with the existing capabilities of HSPF for assessing the effects of land-use change and management practices, BASINS CAT can be used to assess the coupled effects of climate and land-use change, and to guide the development of effective management responses.

A list of resources from the Better Building partners, affiliates, and other organizations to assist building owners, plant managers, and employees in dealing with COVID-19.

From 2017-2020, 17 organizations (federal agencies, universities, and National Laboratories), in partnership with DOE, have worked to improve the safety and energy efficiency of their laboratory buildings through the Better Buildings Smart Labs Accelerator. The Accelerator provided a jump start for organizations to reduce energy usage in lab buildings by 20% in 10 years through technical assistance, data tracking, and peer exchange. The results of the Accelerator are in--across more than nine million square feet of laboratory buildings, partners have saved more than 103,000 million Btu, and are on track to surpass the Accelerator goal. On average, partners have realized a portfolio improvement of 11%.

This website compiles, and makes searchable, practical and ready to replicate solutions. Designed to be quick reads and to help you not recreate the wheel, these solutions include checklists, questionnaires, calculators, and other tools for use in your energy savings projects and programs.

In 2015 the Energy Department launched the Better Buildings Solution Center, an online tool, hosting hundreds of partner solutions that have been proven to accelerate energy savings in single buildings, and across entire building portfolios. As users browse the Solution Center they can easily find by topic the solutions partners implemented to help them to understand how leading organizations achieve significant energy savings. The department is excited to feature below the top-10 and most viewed solutions since May 2015, when the Solution Center first launched.

Discover how strategic exterior upgrades can do more than enhance curb appeal--they can drive real energy savings. This session will explore innovative solutions like high-performance windows, cool roofing systems, and exterior insulation panels. Learn how these technologies can boost building efficiency and long-term value.

Beyond Pesticides is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which advocates safe, healthy, LIVING lawns and landscapes with the use of organic and least toxic practices and products that nurture healthy lawns and landscapes and protect the health of children, families, pets, wildlife and the environment from unnecessary exposure to toxic pesticides.

The Biden Administration through the EPA awarded $254.5 million in Brownfields grants to 265 communities. The grants are supported by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties. Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms. The Brownfields Program advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today's announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.

(Washington, August 31, 2022) Today, the Biden Administration took a major step forward in achieving the goals of President Biden's Federal Sustainability Plan and Executive Order (E.O.) 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability by issuing E.O. 14057 Implementing Instructions to Federal agencies.

Through President Biden's historic Executive Order 14057 Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability the U.S. Federal Government leads the world by example again – transforming how it builds, buys, and manages to help make America's economy cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable.

EPA announced the latest actions to phase down climate-damaging hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, building on the Biden-Harris Administration's progress in accomplishing an initial 10% reduction and helping achieve an 85% reduction by 2036. The first new action is a final rule to accelerate the ongoing transition to more efficient and climate-safe technologies in new refrigeration, heating and cooling systems and other products by restricting the use of HFCs where alternatives are already available. The second action is a proposed rule to better manage and reuse existing HFCs, including by reducing wasteful leaks from equipment and supporting a growing American industry for HFC recycling and reclamation. Under the AIM Act, the Biden-Harris Administration is phasing down HFCs to achieve a 40% reduction of HFCs starting in 2024 and an 85% reduction by 2036. Today's actions will support the national phasedown, including through an additional $4.5 billion in estimated savings for industry and consumers, while supporting good-paying American manufacturing jobs to produce the next generation of equipment and HFC alternatives.

WASHINGTON –Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its latest step to leverage the Federal Government's procurement power to create good-paying union jobs, advance American innovation, and build sustainable Federal supply chains. The proposed Sustainable Products and Services procurement rule will help achieve President Biden's goal of net-zero emissions from Federal procurement by 2050 by modernizing existing sustainable purchasing standards to help ensure the world's single largest purchaser prioritizes American-made sustainable products and services.

Agriculture Secretary announced a strategy for how the Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will address a reforestation backlog of four million acres on national forests and plant more than one billion trees over the next decade. With new resources made available through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, combined with support from state, local, and Tribal governments as well as other partners, the Forest Service aims to eliminate the backlog over the next 10 years and develop the infrastructure, such as nurseries, to keep up with increasing needs. The Forest Service has invested more than $100 million in reforestation this year – more than three times the investment in previous years – thanks to the Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees (REPLANT) Act made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These historic investments will help mitigate the impacts of climate change, rebuild in the aftermath of devastating wildfires and strengthen America's forestlands.